A typical apparatus for mounting an electronic component to a circuit board uses a carrier tape that contains electronic components to facilitate feeding of the electronic components. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-029662 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-338208 each discloses a method of manufacturing a conventional carrier tape.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-029662 discloses a method of manufacturing a carrier tape by compression molding of a strip-shaped base material between a cope having punches for providing a plurality of recesses for containing electronic components and a drag having bumpers at positions corresponding to the punches. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cope and a drag of a conventional carrier tape manufacturing apparatus. A cope 101 shown in FIG. 7 is provided with a plurality of punches 102, a punch holder 103 that holds the punches 102, and a stripper plate 105 that is coupled to the punch holder 103 with springs 104 interposed therebetween. A drag 110 is provided with a die plate 111, a plurality of bumpers 112 disposed at positions corresponding to the punches 102, and springs 113 that support the bumpers 112.
By performing compression molding to a strip-shaped base material 120 between the cope 101 and the drag 110, it is possible to manufacture a carrier tape having a plurality of recesses for containing electronic components. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a carrier tape that has been manufactured by performing compression molding to the base material 120 between the cope 101 and the drag 110 of the conventional method. A carrier tape 121 shown in FIG. 8 includes a plurality of recesses 122 provided in one surface (front surface) of the base material 120 and for containing electronic components, and projections 123 provided on the other surface (back surface) of the base material 120. The projections 123 are formed by embedding a portion of the base material 120 into each bumper 112 when the recesses 122 are provided by the punches 102. Accordingly, the carrier tape 121 has the projections 123 on the back surface of the base material 120 respectively corresponding to the recesses 122 in the front surface of the base material 120.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-338208 discloses a method of manufacturing a carrier tape by compression molding of a strip-shaped base material between a cope and a drag, the cope having punches for providing a plurality of recesses for containing electronic components. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cope and a drag of a conventional carrier tape manufacturing apparatus. A cope 201 shown in FIG. 9 is provided with a punch 202, a punch holder 203 that holds the punch 202, and a stripper plate 205 that is coupled to the punch holder 203 with springs 204 interposed therebetween. A drag 210 is provided with a die plate 211 whose plane on which a base material 220 is placed is constituted by a single flat surface. Although not depicted, the cope 201 is provided with a plurality of punches 202, and the plurality of punches 202 are held in parallel by the punch holder 203.
By performing compression molding to the base material 220 between the cope 201 and the drag 210, it is possible to manufacture a carrier tape having a plurality of recesses for containing electronic components. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a carrier tape that has been manufactured by performing compression molding to the base material 220 between the cope 201 and the drag 210 of the conventional method. A carrier tape 221 shown in FIG. 10 includes a plurality of recesses 222 provided in one surface (front surface) of the base material 220 and for containing electronic components. Being supported by the die plate 211 constituted by a single flat surface, the other surface (back surface) of the base material 220 remains flat even after the recesses 222 have been provided in the front surface of the base material 220.